Journal box



Sept 28, 1937- H. R. GlBBoNs r-:T A1. 2,094,235

' JOURNAL Box Filed June 20, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet `1 /NVENTOQSZ- OTTO W.YOU/VG HAROLD e.,G/BBo/v5,

N THE/Q Am Y Sept. 28, 1937. H. R. GIBBoNs Er Al. 2,094,235

JOURNAL BOX Fil'd June 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 SePt'281937- A H. R.GIBBoNs ETAL 2,094,235 v v` JOURNAL BOX Filed June 20, 1953 4Sheets-Sheet 4 HG if /58 /40 FIG- l 754 /53 /42 /NVENTOQSA OTTO VV.,YOUNG HAQOLD e. @BBQ/v5,

l m THE/@ATTORNEY Q Patented Sept. 28, 1937 PATENT vOFFICE JOURNAL BOXnarnia n. Gibbons, Chatham, ana one w. Young, East Orange, N. J.,assgnorsV to Gener` al Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporationof Delaware Application Juneau, 1933, serial No. 676,662

Y s claims.v (01. sos- 79) This invention relates to journal boxes andcomprises vall of -vthe features of novelty herein disclosed. An objectof the invention is to provide a journal box which will utilize to thefull all wearing surfaces and have long life. Another -object is toprovide a journal box capable of reversal end for end and/or inversionup and down. Another object is to provide a journal box with means forholding a. seat plate selectively upon thrust surfaces of a journal box.Yet another.

object is to provide improved cushioning means for transmitting load toa journal box especially without unduly raising the point of vloadapplication. l

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of thischaracter, the invention conhardened surface I2 in the bore of an axlebox sists in the variousmatters hereinafter described and claimed. Inits broader aspects,vthe invention is not necessarily limited .to thespecific construction selected for illustrative purposes in theaccompanying drawings in which-- Fig. 1 is alvertical longitudinalsectional view.

Fig. 2is one half an end view and one half a cross section of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is one half side View and one half vertical section of the boxbody.

Fig. 4 is an end view of one half of the box body.

Fig. 5 is one haii pian view and one half hori-l zontal section ofthebox body.

Fig. 6 is a, sectional view at a corner on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Fig. 7 is a partial plan view.

, Fig. 8 is a side view of the' end cap.

Fig. 9 is an inside elevation of one half of th end cap. 'i

Fig. 10 is a plan view ofl a modified form of seat plate and adjacentparts of the box. f

Fig.v 11 is a longitudinal sectional 'vie'w of th seat plate andassociated parts.

Fig. l2 is one half a cross section and one half an end view of Fig. 11.f K

The numeral 2 indicates a shaft or axle carrying a raceway sleeve 4 forantifriction bearings.

entering channels in a cagel having end rings Ill.

The rollers run on a carburized or otherwise I4. 'I'he box issymmetrical about two hintersecting axes so that it can be invertedupand down .or reversed end for end. The inversion utilizes the bearingsurfaces at both top and bottom where the maximum load will occur andthe reversal end for end utilizes bothsets of pedestal flanges to takeoutward thrust shocks. The hardened surface l2 is desirably peripherallycontinuous but can be considered as comprising' a bearingsurface at bothtop and bottom.

,As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bearing surface I2 at both itsupper and lower portions extends unbroken to flat end walls I 6 whichform the inner walls of lrecesses or cavities I8 at the corners of thebox. Each upper and each lower pair of corner recesses join at thecenter as indicated'I at 20 where the recesses are shallow radially.Each recess widens outwardly to the box corner, as along the line 22,and then narrows again to the point 24, and between such adjacent points24, the bearing surface is unbroken except at a terminal chamfer.Longitudinal passages 26 through all corners' of the box connectA theopposite recesses and such passages and recesses (or whichever ones areat the bottom) form connected`4 lubricant receptacles. The passages 26are widest at the ends but become somewhat narrower medially as at 21-where the corners of the box are slabbed oil? on an incline.

Both ends of the box have a series of symmetrically located openings 28which are' tapped to receive eighny the threads of fastening bolts forend closures. Such bolts 30 at the rear or inner end of the box are ormay be all alike and extend through a gasket 32 and afiange 34 held bylock Washers and nuts 36. The ilange is part of an end closure orsealing ring 38 which has a generally annular extension 40 projectinginto the box where its fiat terminal face 42 is hardened and guides theadjacent cage ring I0. Exterv *nally the projection 40 has a reliefgroove 43 to receive surplus oil from the surface I2. Internally thering 38 has a groove 44 to receive oil thrown from a. rib 46 on theaxle. As shown more in detail kin patent to Brittain, 1,984,822 grantedDecember .18, 1934, the upper part of the internal groove 44 iscontinuously arch-shape in cross section but its lower portion has drainwalls 48 extending to the upper edges of exit openings 50 which arelocated at the sides. Oppositely inclinedbottom walls 52 lead from apoint die rectly under the axle to the openings 50 and'drain oil to theopenings. dam'or obstruction 54 which prevents oil being splashed fromthe box to the low point oi the This construction leaves a the othersand traverses a circular reinforcing" wall or sleeve 84 in anenlargement 86 of the end cap, such enlargement lforming a lubricantreservoir 88 lled at the plug 90 and supplementing and open to the boxand its reservoir. A Wick 92 to lubricate the end of the axle has itslower end bifurcated to form legs 94 straddling the sleeve 84. 'I'hewick extends upwardly through a vertical slot 95 in a projection of theend cap, such cap having also a substantially annular projection 96which enters the box and has a 'hardened fiat terminal face 98 to guidethe adjacent cage ring I0. The projection also has an external reliefgroove |00 to receive excess oil working axially from the rollerbearings. At the top of the projection, there is also an inclinedpassage |02 to conduct some of such excess lubricant tov a polygonalrecess |04 containing a thrust block` |06. The thrust block hasatop-recess or pas-` sage |08 receiving the oil from the passage |02 anddraining it to an inclined passage H0 leading to a center recess ||2above the wick and opposite the end of the axle. This oil thus aids thewick in lubricating the thrust faces of the axle and thrust block.v Thethrust block is backed up by spacing plates |4 engaging a circular faceor pad ||6 on the end cap. A clamping bolt H8' `has a head |20 embeddedin the thrust block and a clamping nut |22 outside the .end cap toengage a washer |24.

The box has pairs of pedestal flanges |30 equally spaced from the centerof the box and flaring as indicated at |32; The inner faces of theflanges are hardened fortheir full height and the sides of `the box arealso hardened .at top and' bottom as indicated at |34. The corners ofthe box are slabbed off on inclines as indicated at |36 to provideclearance for the usual equalizer bars. The top of the box (and also thebottom) is provided with a polygonal recess or seat for an equalizerseat plate. The recess has spaced end walls |38 extending across the boxand pairs of side walls |40 extending lengthwise of the box butdiscontinuous where the box is slabbed off at |36. The confining wallsmeet at the corners on a short radius and the recess has a finishedannular seating face or pad |42 to engage a similar nished face on aseat plate |44. The seat plate is preferably square except for shortbevels at the corners` Aand is'of a size to readily enter the recesswhere it is confined bythe side walls against any substantial bodilyshifting. The seat `plate has flanges |46 to straddle an equalizer bar,a central rounded rib |48 to enter the usual recess in such Y bar, andseating surfaces |50 at the sides of the rib. The seating surfaces |50are convexly crowned both longitudinally of the box and trans- |44 isplaced in the opposite recess. When the inner'pair of pedestal flanges|30 becomes Worn, the box can be reversed end for end and, since theseat plate and its seating recess are symmetrical with respect to thecenter of the box, the

pointof application of the load on the bearings is not changed. Thesealing r-ing and the end cap are then interchanged, together with theirfastenings.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12, a modified form of seat plate is shown. Theseating recesses in the axle box are or may be the same as before. Anannular cushion |52 having a center hole |54 is supported on the annularface |42 and enters a circular recess |56 in the bottom of a square seatplate |58, the peripheral wall |60 of the recess tapering or enlargingdownwardly. This wall approaches quite closely to the straight sides andends of the seat, plateat the center lines of the,

seat plate but becomes more and more remote therefrom as the corners areapproached. This' extra thickness at the corners furnishes desirablerigidity and strength while allowing the cushion to enter the seat platecentrally. Hence the inserted cushion does not unduly elevate the seatplate. The cushion absorbs shock and reduces noise while alsofacilitating easier alignment or lcompensatory angular shifting of theseat plate when the load is not exactly central. The cushion, being ofcircular form, will facilitate rocking or alignment of thebox inoperation because'the cross section in any vertical plane decreasestowards the periphery and the cushion will thus deect or compressl moreeasily at its periphery than near the center. t

. We claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, a

'circumferentially continuous journal box having an internal bearingsurface at topand bottom, a shaft journalled in the box, and the boxhaving internal passages for lubricant extending longitudinally throughthe circumferential continuous portion of the box at top and bottomoutside.

of the bearing surfaces, Land the box having end recesses at top andbottom to'afford communication between the lubricant passages and theends of the bearing surfaces whereby lubricant can be supplied from alubricant passage to a bearing surface in two opposite or invertedpositions of the box selectively; substantially as described.

'2. In a device of the characterl indicated, a circumferentiallycontinuous journal box having an internal bearing surface at top andbottom, a. shaft journalled in the box, the box being invertible Eup anddown and having external load transferring means applicable to top orbottom, and the box also having internal passages for lubricantvextending longitudinally through the box outside of the bearing surfacesat both top and bottom, and. each passage communicating with one of thebearing surfaces to effect lubrication of the box in either of twoinverted positions thereof; substantially as described.

3. In al device of the character indicated, a

Ajournal box having an internal bearing surface at top and bottom, ashaft journalled in the box,

the box having internal recesses for lubricant at lubricant receptacleconstructed and accesses arranged to communicate with the lower one ofthe longitudinally extending lubricant recesses, and means for securingthe cap to the box in two opposite positions selectively; substantiallyas described. I

4. In a device. of the character indicated, a journal boxcircumferentially continuous and unbroken and having an internal bearingsurface at top and bottom, a shaft journalled in the box, the box havinginternal recesses for lubricant above and below the shaft and outside ofthe bearing surfaces, said lubricant recesses extending longitudinallythroughout the box and communicating at the ends with the bearingsurfaces whereby lubricant can be supplied to a bearing surface in twoinverted positions of the box, and an end closure adapted to t eitherend of the box in either of the inverted positions thereof;substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box having aninternal bearing surface at both top and bottom to selectively receivethe load, an axle journalled in the box, and lubricant passagesextending through the box at top and bottom outside of the bearingsurfaces and each passage communicating with the ends of one bearingsurface whereby lubricant has access from a lubricant passage to the endof a bearing surface in two opposite or inverted positions of the boxselectively; substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box having aninternal bearing surface at both top and bottom to selectively receivethe load, an axle journalled in the box, lubricant passages extendingthrough the box at top and bottom outside of the bearing surfaces andeach passage communicating with the ends of one bearing surface wherebylubricant has access from a lubricant passage to the end of a bearingsurface in two opposite or inverted positions of the box selectively,and detachable means for closing the ends of the box and adapte-d to tthe box Yin two opposite or inverted positions thereof selectively, saiddetachable means having a lubricant receptacle in its lower portion tosupplement the lowermost lubricant passage; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character indicated, an

I invertible journal box having internal bearing surfaces in its upperand lower portions, an axle journalled in the box, lubricant holdingpassages extending longitudinally through the box outside of the bearingsurfaces, one such passage being near the top and the other near thebottom of the box, and recesses in the box at the ends of the bearingsurfaces and extending outwardly therefrom to aord communication betweenthe ends of the bearing surfaces and said passages in two oppositeorinverted positions of the box; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, a journal box adapted forinversion up and down and comprising a circumferentially continuous bodywith a longitudinal bore therein, an axle extending into the box,antifrction bearings between the axle and the bore, the box havinglubricant holding passages extending lengthwise through the body thereofoutside of the bore and both above and below the axle for selective use,the passages having communication with the bearings to eect lubricationthereof in either of the inverted positions of the box,` an end capadapted to be secured to the box in either of the inverted positions,and the lower portion of the cap having a lubricant receptacle adaptedto communicate with whichever one of said lubricant passages is selectedto lie .at the bottom; substantially as described. l

HAROLD R. GIBBONS. OTTO W. YOUNG.

